It Depends on Your Meaning of “a Few”

Democratic state comptroller candidate Kevin Lembo is scrambling to collect $75,000 in qualifying small contributions by Friday at 5 p.m. to snag $375,000 in taxpayer money for his August 10th primary contest against Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura. Lembo’s July 10th filing with the state’s election agency shows that he’d raised $24,064.00 as of June 30th.  Lembo will have to have raised tens of thousands in contributions of no more than $100 in 16 days when the clock stops on Friday, even if he gets to count some of the $16,240.00 he collected during his exploratory run for lieutenant governor.

Lembo dropped his flagging bid for lieutenant governor when State Comptroller Nancy Wyman entered the race a few days before the Democratic state convention.  Wyman reciprocated by contriving to get Lembo the nomination for her job.

The health care advocate declared in an appeal for contributions on Monday, “I am just a few thousand dollars away from hitting the $75,000 needed in qualifying contributions.”  It’s important that a comptroller show precision with numbers.  The office’s state budget estimations have become prominent in public policy debates over spending.  What’s a few thousand?  $3,000? $4,000? Not more than $5,000?

Lembo declined to answer an email asking for his working definition of “a few.”